Books on writing

Friday, May 09, 2008 11:55 AM
Kevin Black wrote:

I have read a number of books on writing. I thought the following three were really very helpful.

The First Five Pages, by Noah Lukeman. Fireside (Simon & Schuster), 2005.
This book is written by an editor, whose job after all is to reject most submitted manuscripts. He starts with the most egregious errors in the submissions he sees (which, surprisingly, are rather common), and proceeds to errors whose absence reflects more and more skill and sophistication on the part of the writer. I think this book may have taught me more about good writing than all my high school or college English classes together.

78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might, by Pat Walsh. Penguin, 2005.
The author and goal of this book are somewhat similar to those of the one noted above. The style is different but it is also engaging. The focus is partly on the writing but partly on other matters such as finding an appropriate agent and writing in an area you know. I liked it just as well. Note, if I remember correctly the number one reason your book will not be published is because you have not written it.

Write Away: One Novelist's Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life, by Elizabeth George. HarperCollins, 2004.
I think the utility of this book may depend on the personality and style of the aspiring writer. It suited me well. George has written a number of well-selling novels, I think mostly mysteries. She approaches her work as much as an artisan as an artist. She notes that planning and organization are important investments up front that make the writer's job much easier later. She takes several pages to counter the concern that all this work and preparation takes the inspiration and creativity out of the writing process. I think she succeeds. I didn't end up using her exact approach but I found it very helpful, in part in helping make sure the plan for the book was coherent and well-thought-out, but also in helping me do what the paronomastic title suggests and start right away (see the last sentence of my comment on the previous book). (Note, it took me forever to find a chance to use that word.) :)